Hamlet Essay

     As human beings we natural make thousands of decisions a day but some are obviously harder to make than others. Some are made without hesitation, while some are so hard and over-thought that they can consume us until that decision is what defines us. This is demonstrated in the theme and tone that Shakespeare uses in the play Hamlet through Hamlet's phrases such as "to be or not to be."
     Throughout the play Hamlet pretends to go crazy but he may actually be going a little crazy over the decision he has to make about whether to kill his father. This is what is contemplated in his "to be or not to be" soliloquy. He is deciding whether "to act or not act" or "to die or to live" and this is what probably drives him insane inside. He goes back and forth on whether it would be better to live with the pain or just die. That alone is a pretty dark thought that shows signs that might be suicidal and on the verge of madness. Shakespeare uses this soliloquy to show the audience what problems Hamlet is facing internally and the madness that faces us Hamlet and all of us when dealing with tough situations.
     Some words can become more than just words with definitions. When said out loud and in the right way they can have a profound impact on someone. In the "to be or not to be" soliloquy, the words that Hamlet say are spoken out loud and greatly enhance what he is thinking inside. By saying them out loud he is turning his feelings into reality. The words that he speaks are no longer just words in his head. They suddenly become more meaningful and somehow more important to him. This power that his words possess ultimately lead him to ultimately struggle with the decision that he is faced with. His words suddenly make his madness seem more real to not only him but to the audience as well.
     Madness and confusion seem to be a constant theme throughout this play. The way the his words give him power in his soliloquy confirm this theme. Hamlet experiences the craziness that all of us do but we never really say it out loud to give it the power that Hamlet did. If Hamlets "to be or not to be" had been delivered in any other way the message would certainly not have gotten to Hamlet or the audience as effectively.